55 Comments

• seanomelb | Mar 26, 2012, 06:51 PM EDT

  Single Donald I do not know if Broonzy included other ethnic groups one would have to be inside the head of the writer. The song was probably written in the thirties.Broonzy died 1958 of throat cancer, regards.

• McNamara31 | Mar 26, 2012, 02:44 PM EDT

  dcwusmc "Dancing in the blood of the victims of violence was not, I thought, a trait of good Irishmen and women, but only of the looney collectivist left. Was I wrong? D.C. Wright USMC Retired... No you're wrong.No good man or woman, whether you perceive them to be left, right or anything else would dance in the blood as you chose to say. When you put this in the context that this was a teenager just walking home in America and this idiot perceived him to be a criminal just like the 46 phone call he made before to 911 and that speaks volumes about his preconceived biases. And BTW since you brought attention to the USMC; your statement dishonors the USMC. And before you blast back with the all too predictable “did you serve” question. Yes. Three generations of my family including my USMC husband. Progressives, Independents and lefties all serve in today's military service.

• Gearoid | Mar 26, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT

  Timoney has lost all moral right to offer opinions on law and order since he has taken up a post with the murderous Bahraini regime.

• IrelandNorth | Mar 26, 2012, 06:35 AM EDT

  The optimum answer to this issue is the doctrine of non-resistance as with more passive/defensive forms of martial arts Judo/Aikido. Go with the energy-flow of your enemies attack. Use their bio-energy by stepping out aside and pushing them in the direction they were already going. And if all else fails, (in the words of a previous US president): "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

• SingleDonald | Mar 25, 2012, 08:38 PM EDT

  OFF TOPIC, but relevant: seanomelb, In the Bill Broonzy song, what does "brown" mean? It could be Hispanics, or maybe Creoles, as they were more prominant in the deep south than Hispanics. Since I first heard that song, in a documentary of the Civil Rights Movement, I can't quite figure it out!

• seanomelb | Mar 25, 2012, 07:22 PM EDT

  dcwusmc I'm sure you get my point,your inability to understand that there is a problem with this case is problematic in itself

• dcwusmc | Mar 25, 2012, 03:41 PM EDT

  Seanomelb, your lack of coherence says more than any reply I could ever make.

• gavinpchow | Mar 25, 2012, 12:49 PM EDT

  I think Timoney is a sorry police officer and was worse as a Police Chief. He should have stayed in Dublin. Why have we not heard anyone talk about Zimmerman receiving a broken nose and a lacerated head?? Where did he get the injuries??Could it be that the little negro boy jumped him and was beating him up?? Like several have said let the investigation determine what went down.. Meanwhile tell the EX-top cop of Miami to zip it!!

• seanomelb | Mar 25, 2012, 01:04 AM EDT

  dcwusmc I bet you have danced on innocent blood an d didn't give a hoot.Since the introduction of this law self defense "murders?" have tripled,it seems a good law to settle old scores As I said before only in America.The problem is thousands have taken to the streets to force the system to seek justice for travyon. Zimmerman will face justice let us hope justice is not blind as it usually is if your black.It's a old day I think I'll put my hoody on walk the dog.I should be OK I'm white.

• badolan | Mar 24, 2012, 11:21 PM EDT

  I shoot about 500-1,000 rounds a month on average. Most cops I know shoot every year to qualify and not much more. To call them experts is pretty damn funny. I have to say that that what happened to Trayvon is tragic and never should have happened. Apparently, he was not armed and was not doing anything illegal except walking while black. Laws saying you only have to feel threatened are not responsible to say the least. I love my guns but the NRA shouldn't run the country.

• dcwusmc | Mar 24, 2012, 10:37 PM EDT

  First, Timoney is a twit. Bringing the EuroTrash fear of an armed citizenry to a cop's job in America. We have quite enough homegrown gungrabbers as it is. Second, "Stand Your Ground" is not even a factor in this case. PERHAPS self defense is, from some reports I've seen, but that's for the ONGOING INVESTIGATION to determine. I'm sure most all of you've heard of investigations, haven't you? So instead of condemning anyone or anything, like Zimmerman or the law, why don't y'all just chill and let the legal system do its job, as it does on occasion. Dancing in the blood of the victims of violence was not, I thought, a trait of good Irishmen and women, but only of the looney collectivist left. Was I wrong? D.C. Wright USMC Retired

• mandrake | Mar 24, 2012, 09:18 PM EDT

  The problem is simple. Police need to be armed and trained to a high degree about the use of firearms A dopey rent-a-cop should never be permitted within a bull's roar of a firearm or Tazer.

• MCCOLGAN1492 | Mar 24, 2012, 07:55 PM EDT

  Wish someone would put a cap in mickey mouses ass, he robs me everytime i have to bring my spoiled kids to that hell ache in Orlando! Bet that place is crawling with neighborhood watch.....

• seanomelb | Mar 24, 2012, 06:39 PM EDT

  The killing of travyon has all the hallmarks of a hate crime. Stereo typing blacks who wear hoodies are somehow criminals as Geraldo stated on Fox news(only in America). Looking at Fox news over the last few days their empathy seems to lie with killer. I wore a hoodie whilst walking the dog today(cold morning) thank goodness it was in a civilised country and not Hicksville U.S.A. As Bill Broonzy said "if your black get back/if your brown stick around/if your white you're white your all right.

• IrishDragoon | Mar 24, 2012, 06:15 PM EDT

  I respectfully disagree with Mr. Timoney. Assuming what the media told us is true (newspaper men and women would NEVER lie, right?) it is one person's abuse of the law, not the law itself, that brought this on. A cop has a vested interest in keeping the public as dependent on him and his department as much as possible. What better way to do it than to make it illegal to defend yourself.

• Searlit | Mar 24, 2012, 05:39 PM EDT

  I wasn't referring to home invasions. That's clearly a crime. The teenager who was killed was simply walking down the street until he noticed a big thug in a car staring at him. Then he started to run away from said big thug. There are witnesses! Travyon Martin had no police record and was unarmed.

• skydiver15000 | Mar 24, 2012, 04:58 PM EDT

  I don't care if it a law or not... If you come into my home uninvited and are a threat to my family... It will be your last day on this beautiful Earth... As for Timony, I think he was a wanabe cop and should have left the kid run like he was told to do by the 911 operator and let THE REAL police catch him as he was no longer a threat... The reason I say he was a wanabe cop is that he applied to the Police Accademy and was turned away... To me he was a dumb ass and just a tad over zealous!!!

• borefield | Mar 24, 2012, 04:54 PM EDT

  Heather911, certain people will shoot and kill, you shooting back makes it right or a level playing field? You still need to get anger management.

• RockNReel | Mar 24, 2012, 04:37 PM EDT

  Heather 911 is correct in most of what he/she says and at last in Ireland people are beginning to stand up to cowardly thugs who do home invasions and robberies. Not before time !!

• kdevill | Mar 24, 2012, 04:26 PM EDT

  Heather911 - you are a moron.

• Heather911 | Mar 24, 2012, 03:32 PM EDT

  borefield what? Because I have enough common sense to know that it does not matter rather or not this law was passed, people are still going to shoot and kill regardless?? Educate yourself instead of listening to the media.

• borefield | Mar 24, 2012, 03:04 PM EDT

  Heather911, I hope you get some anger management help, you need it. I really don't want to meet you after dark.

• Heather911 | Mar 24, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT

  To all you posters who think the law is bad, try having someone break in to your home, rape you, and beat the hell out of you while cops are unable to identify the man. Until that happens to you, shut the hell up. People have a right to defend themselves just as you have a right to run your ignorant mouth.

• Searlit | Mar 24, 2012, 02:35 PM EDT

  So, to you posters that think this law is good. If you walk down a street that someone like the shooter Zimmerman lives on, and he decides he doesn't like the way you look, he can just shoot and kill you? Really?

• PatriciaMarya | Mar 24, 2012, 02:17 PM EDT

  What a brilliant and correct explanation on why this law has been wrong from the beginning! To read that back in 2005, when this gentleman and the other wise Florida Police Chiefs begged the legislature to rethink this law and even when they based their reasoning on experience and logic, they were still ignored is mind-boggling to say the least. And I do appreciate that this article referred to Zimmerman as a "volunteer" and not "captain" as so much of the media has been stating. This organization is not part of any Neighborhood Watch program, thus, Zimmerman can only call him "captain." There has been no training only someone filling a self-created vacuum. The fact that he told a neighbor that there garage door was open does not make him Neighborhood Watch person, only a good neighbor! The young man was not loitering; he was coming back from the store to his Father's fiancée’s home where he was visiting. Sanity has to return to the State Legislature in Florida and this law has to be erased from the books before more innocent deaths occur.

• Dompedro | Mar 24, 2012, 01:42 PM EDT

  we should remember that Timoney's job is to catch bad guys after they victimize someone. Others prefer not to become victims.

• cavanpat | Mar 24, 2012, 01:29 PM EDT

  Give me a break. This guy Timoney and a few others from Dublin were awarded with plaques from the RUC. Why don't you tell the people about that before you quote him. Some of them were spying for the RUC.

• borefield | Mar 24, 2012, 01:16 PM EDT

  Self defense and stand your ground are too different things. Zimmerman looks like a strong burley guy, Treyvon looks like a young kid, which he was. I do believe this is a bad law and should be abolished, shame a young kid has to die for to change it. That said, there are some very scarey young people out there. A few years back I had a young cousin who was a Broward County police officer shot in the head at close range as he was completing his paperwork after investigating a robbery at a 7-11. The shooters were Black, 15 and 18 tears old. The 18 year old was out on parole, had an arrest record pages long. I believe they got life, not the death penalty. I don't recall the public outrage for him nor did I see the public outrage when Bordrer Agent Brian Terry was murdered, NOR, do I recall the President picking up the phone and calling the Terry family. Violent death hurts so many people and especially the families regardless of color. White people hurt too.

• shannontravers | Mar 24, 2012, 01:09 PM EDT

  I think that Zimmerman should have been arrested until an investigation could have been completed. Based on what the media has shown us, Zimmermen would be guilty of some degree of murder. But as in any case there are the two sides and in the middle lies the truth. The media is only showing us what they want us to see. Not knowing what the "Stand Your Ground Law" reads, maybe armed security should be left to professionals. Having interested residents do the security will have these kinds of incidents occur.

• BippyBellito | Mar 24, 2012, 12:53 PM EDT

  Timoney can't seem to hold a job. Why is he so against a person's right to defend him(her)self? Zimmerman may or may not have broken the law. That is for the courts to decide. But the law allowing "stand your ground" is a good one. Just because Timoney is Irish doesn't mean he's right.

• slainte9 | Mar 24, 2012, 12:45 PM EDT

  I live in Central Phoenix, by the way. Most folks are pretty nice here. But we do have some black knuckleheads and some Mexican knuckleheads. If they shoot someone, the police arrest them and they get prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The people who really scare me though and who are guilty of the most heinous crimes here are white knuckleheads who are often drug-crazed and armed to the teeth.

• slainte9 | Mar 24, 2012, 12:36 PM EDT

  This is a recipe for a repeat of Northern Ireland in America, but the gun nuts are too stupid to realize that. How long will it take after you legalize shooting one group of people before they start shooting back.

• EphraimKibbey | Mar 24, 2012, 12:35 PM EDT

  It sounds like this version of the law (the first) is vague in what "stand your ground" means. If a JUDGE can throw out another case where someone chased down an alledged car thief and admittedly stabbed him to death using this law as a defence, then citizens, police and the courts all do not understand the concept as envisioned by legislators. All of these laws in the 20 some states where they have been enacted since JEB signed this one should be reexamined and amended so that they can not protect the aggressor. As pointed out by Timoney, even police officers are investigated when they discharge their weapons. These laws should not preclude investigation but but require it as well as establish the right of self defence in a court of law. As for this case in particular, when the police found Mr. Zimmerman calling in 46 times over 56 days, a red light should have appeared and his suitability for his self appointed constabulary reexamined. If he was found to be playing cowboy, he should have been stopped. The other self appointed watchman, did not feel the need to go armed and did not have Zimmerman's history of police contact.

• jamthecat | Mar 24, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  You're never going to get the right-wing-nuts and my-way-or-the-highway fanatics who pushed this law through to admit it was either unnecessary or disastrous...or that their current defense of it borders on racist. Well the facts are the reality -- a white man with a history of arrest and strong suggestions of mental instability got a gun, determined a young black male was suspicious for no more reason than he was walking through the neighborhood, accosted him, and killed him. What was the black kid armed with? A bag of Skittles and an iced tea. And the cops effectively used the "Stand Your Ground" law to say, "Okay, no big deal." If Zimmerman had killed a white kid, he'd be in jail. If he'd been a black man, he'd be in jail. But he's not. Now why do you think that's so? And if this law can be used to validate a racist murder, especially since police chiefs all over the state of Florida all but begged the legislature to not pass it, how can you even begin to defend it?

• ThaMadHatter | Mar 24, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  The law is not the problem it is the one that breaks the law that is in the wrong. There are a multitude of conflicting reports including the shooter being instructed by police not to engage the young man and reports of Zimmerman having been given a bloody nose. The fact is that unless it is a clear cut case of Zimmerman having been pursued and attacked he probably acted incorrectly and should be charged accordingly. The entire issue should not be tried in the media and knee jerk laws should not be passed but logical discussion, either in court or by law enforcement should decide what happened and why and then if Zimmerman acted wrongly he should be charged according to the law and punished accordingly. This crap about some ex-cop that made a prediction seven years ago is crazy. We put to much credence into curbside lawyers and not enough into using the legal system that we have. Timoney is a liberal gun grabber and Zimmerman has become a tool for the gun grabbers to use against law abiding gun owners.

• pilib04 | Mar 24, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT

  To the racist posters on this board: Many Blacks in America are also Irish-American! Of those, at least 20% are Irish Catholics! Stop with the racist posts!

• pilib04 | Mar 24, 2012, 11:59 AM EDT

  We cancelled our trip to Fort Myers because we will not spend our money in a state that promotes racist lynchings. That is precisely what happened to Trayvon Martin.

• Searlit | Mar 24, 2012, 11:57 AM EDT

  I listened to a tape of the shooter talking to the police before he ran after this 17 yr old boy who was visiting with some people his family know that live in this housing development. The shooter told the police that he had been watching the teen (Travyon Martin had gone out to get skittles.) When the shooter Zimmerman sees him starting to run he tells the police. The police hear his breathing, and ask him if he is following the young man, and he says "yes". The officer on the phone says " we don't need you to do that". There were residents in their homes, near where the shooting took place, who called 911 to tell them that they heard someone pleading for their life, and then a gunshot.

• pilib04 | Mar 24, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT

  Niall, thanks for pointing out the Carlow connection. I see you have stirred up the "flat earth society".

• Heather911 | Mar 24, 2012, 11:44 AM EDT

  Stand Your Ground Law, is indeed the4 best thing that could happen here in Florida. Crime rates have dropped. This case is not so cut and dry because you have several different witnessed telling different stories. If the cops were doing their jobs, people would not have had to take matters in their own hands. And I am sick and tired of th4 racial conflict. Whites get shot by blacks everyday, who is defending our rights????

• Fionnlagh | Mar 24, 2012, 10:58 AM EDT

  BTW, blacks kill white teens on a regular basis as well.... Where is the outrage for them?

• Porickseantuny | Mar 24, 2012, 10:53 AM EDT

  Did Zimmerman bloody his own nose? Do you have hide inside your home or can you follow someone who is a stranger to copy a car tag if need be? The boy was in fact a stranger to the neighborhood. Isn't a stranger walking with a hood over his head a bit suspicious? Enough to inquire about his identity or intention by following him? What is the disparity, if any, in size of the individuals? Objectively, couldn't a stranger walking in the neighborhood be casing the area for homes that were unattended? We don't know all the facts. We only hear the hype from the usual rabble rousers like Al Sharpton who has been known to make false allegations in the past.

• Fionnlagh | Mar 24, 2012, 10:52 AM EDT

  My fellow Irish have drank heartily from the leftist Kool Aid pitcher for too long. Answer me leftist why should I be required to run away if a thug breaks into my property and threatens me before I can defend myself or my family. Without stand your ground in place its YOU that has to justify your own self defense. Thats maybe good Political Correctness but all PC is designed to do is get you KILLED!

• HungryHillboy | Mar 24, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT

  This law is not a disaster. You are only hearing about a few negative cases where this law has been abused, but you will never hear of the times this law has probably saved someones life. The 'shooter' was the aggressor and this law should NOT provide him any protection. Police can not be everywhere and law abiding citizens need protection for defending themselves in as "Timoney pointed out, in bad neighborhoods, in dimly lit streets etc.", what are you supposed to do let a vicious criminal kill you because Timoney doesn't think you should protect yourself from them. Place a well trained cop on 'every' corner in every 'bad hood' and dimly lit alley, until that happens you'll have to have citizens protect themselves. With the good comes the bad, the world is not a perfect place. If I were a criminal I would definitely think twice before mugging or attacking someone where this law is in place.

• Fionnlagh | Mar 24, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT

  Timoney as most Police Chief's is a career politician now and doesn't know what he hell he's talking about. Being a lifetime Floridian the stand your ground law had nothing to do with this young man's death! But as usual the gun grabbing leftist crawl out from under their rock to condemn a common sense approach to personal protection. Zimmerman broke the stand your ground law as he did every rule that goes with the neighbor watch program. The disaster is the Police Chief in Sanford did NOT arrest Zommerman as needed. Of course Timoney is trying to cover for another Police Chief ( who has now resigned) by blaming a law that has saved lived and potential crimes from occurring . It is NOT the police's job to protect the populace, their job is to enforce the law which clearly wasn't done here! Zimmerman should be in jail no doubt will be eventually but the stand your ground is certainly not at fault!

• Niall O'Dowd | Mar 24, 2012, 10:38 AM EDT

  Carlow, john Timoney is an irish-born cop who served as Miami's top cop for years -- that is the connection

• BrianO | Mar 24, 2012, 10:07 AM EDT

  The story states that homicides catorgorized as justified have tripled, have homicides tribled? remained the same? This case seems like a murder, the slayer set up a scenario to try to use the law to kill this young man. it is awful. It will be used also by people with political axes to grind, as in this case to try to overturn the stand your own ground statute.

• miabryant | Mar 24, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT

  I won't be visiting Florida with a law like this in place! Too much room for error as the previous posts show. Sorry Great Grandmother and Mickey.

• Sarge524 | Mar 24, 2012, 10:03 AM EDT

  Zimmerman should have been arrested on the spot and at trail brought forth the affirmative defense of 'stand your ground'. It's is apparent that it doesn't fit here and he will be found guilty.

• carlow98 | Mar 24, 2012, 10:02 AM EDT

  This case is a mess; and a tragedy. But tell me why you are covering it? What does it have to do with the Mission Statement of Irish Central?

• JimmieM | Mar 24, 2012, 09:59 AM EDT

  So?....with this law you can follow, stalk anyone into a corner and then stand your ground and kill them? If so then should you be allowed to take their money? rape them?...I mean they are going to be dead anyway? Is the law really that vague? ....a did Floor-Da grant everyone in the state a double 0 license to kill?

• donal1951 | Mar 24, 2012, 09:58 AM EDT

  I find it very insulting to hear John Timoney referred to as an idiot, he is far from that. I do not agree with him that idiots such as Zimmerman, cop wannabees, carry out their fantasies by killing innocent victims carrying home a sack of crisps and a soda pop.

• like2tweet | Mar 24, 2012, 09:42 AM EDT

  Kelley you know better than one of the most decorated cops in America? gimmee a break

• colkelley | Mar 24, 2012, 09:40 AM EDT

  Timoney is an idiot, as usual. This case does not have to do with the "stand your ground" law it has to do with the failure of local law enforcement to apply the law. The shooter in this case was the aggressor while the law clearly indicates that the VICTIM has the right to self defense. Too bad he and "like2tweet" do not understand the circumstances or the law.

• like2tweet | Mar 24, 2012, 09:30 AM EDT

  Timoney has it right as usual